(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to a rig used as a connection point for connecting rappelling or fast-roping ropes to a helicopter or similar vehicle.
(2) Background of the Invention
In modern society, there is a need for humans to be able to access locations from above. How this access is obtained depends on the nature of the target location and the surrounding terrain and structures. To get into remote, inaccessible, or high elevation locations where access from above is required, individuals often utilize the techniques of rappelling or fast-roping. These techniques essentially allow a user to utilize a rope and a friction device to descend from an overhead position into the location in a controlled manner. Essentially, the user descends from an elevated position to a lower position with the rope and friction device slowing or stopping the descent.
In order to rappel or fast rope, however, a rope is generally supported at the upper elevation and allowed to freely hang into the lower elevation under the force of gravity. The user then descends down the rope using the rope and associated equipment to generate sufficient friction to control the descent. In this way, so long as the user can get higher than the target location, they can access it from above.
While rappelling or fast roping may be performed from a natural or manmade structure down a slope or drop, this generally only allows access to a lower elevation from a higher elevation accessible by an alternative route. Rappelling and fast-roping are, however, particularly useful where the location is inaccessible by an overland or similar route, but is accessible from above by air. Therefore, the technique is often used from a helicopter or other hovering aircraft.
The need to rappel into a location arises in numerous different contexts. For instance, in search and rescue operations it is often necessary for rescue personnel to reach an area relatively inaccessible from the ground very quickly. For instance, an adventure seeker may be injured and require rapid medical intervention to avoid a permanent injury or death. If the adventure seeker is many days hike from roads or other locations, or has fallen in a location inaccessible from the ground (such as into a gully, or off a rock formation), personnel on foot may not be able to reach him/her in time to provide the needed medical intervention. However, an aircraft can often arrive over the adventure seeker's position significantly faster and rescue personnel can rappel down to the person to provide aid until overland help can arrive, or they can move the person toward approaching overland units to decrease the time before the adventure seeker is in the care of a hospital. In some situations, an overland route may be completely impossible. For instance, a ship lost in high seas can result in many survivors floating in the water. Because of the conditions which sank the original ship, it may be impossible for rescue personnel to approach the survivors by water. However, aid may be able to be rendered by personnel approaching from above by helicopter.
In other situations, military or police organizations need to drop personnel into potentially hostile areas so they can fight hostile forces, or attempt to arrest or contain criminals. In many of these situations (as also in many of the above situations) rappelling is a preferred method because the helicopter cannot land or it is unsafe for the helicopter to land. For instance, if the helicopter were to land on a building during a hostage situation, the hostage taker may attempt to commandeer the helicopter to make an escape. In other situations, the location simply does not permit the helicopter to land as the target location may be within dense forestation, rocks, or other objects or may be under fire. All of these conditions can prohibit the existence of a suitable landing site.
For all these reasons, rappelling has become one of the primary methods for getting personnel from a hovering helicopter to the ground safely. While rappelling may be a preferred method in many situations, most civilian helicopters and smaller helicopters have to do more than just carry rappelling individuals and are therefore not designed for rappelling maneuvers at all times. In search and rescue and other activities, the helicopter may be needed for many things other than just rappelling (such as rapid response of ground crews to a nearby area or transport of injured parties) and the inclusion of a rappelling rig in the helicopter at all times can necessarily take up space that would be better used for other things on some missions or can even completely prevent the use of the helicopter for other tasks. Further, as a helicopter generally has to have its doors removed for use in a rappelling situation, it is undesirable, and potentially dangerous, to prepare the helicopter for rappelling maneuvers unless they are known to be needed as personnel and gear can fall from the helicopter in flight when the doors are removed.
While rappelling is a great tool, it is also a hazardous activity. When rappelling, a person is suspended by rope high above the ground and the only items preventing them from falling are the strength of the rope, the knots, and the support to which the ropes are secured. Ropes and connectors used in rappelling are generally of highly modern materials and construction and are designed to support much more weight than necessary, even when damaged. However, where these ropes attach are often barely within weight requirements and are often not designed for the rappelling task. Many times the helicopter does not include preset hard points to allow for secure connection to the body of the helicopter and the rappeller is forced to attach at structures intended for another purpose entirely which may or may not be suitably secure. In use, multiple rappellers may also simultaneously rappel from multiple points also placing undo strain on the support, possibly with disastrous results.